Forrest, John (1847 - 1918)

First Baron Forrest of Bunbury

Born in Bunbury, Western Australia, on 22 August 1847, died at sea, on
3 September 1918.

In 1869 he led an expedition in search of Leichhardt,
and in 1870 led another from Perth (Western Australia) to Adelaide (South
Australia) around the Great Australian Bight. Apparently neither of these
involved plant collecting. In 1874 he crossed the Great Victoria Desert
from Champion Bay, Western Australia, to the Overland Telegraph Line in
the Northern Territory. The botanical collections from the latter expedition
were sent to Mueller and are now in MEL. Forrest later became Deputy Surveyor-General
for Western Australia, held other government posts, and became the first
Premier and Colonial Treasurer of Western Australia. After 1901 he held
ministerial posts in the Federal Government, including Acting Prime Minister.